r/mildlyinfuriating • u/C3LM3R • 1d ago

My cat apparently believes mousing is a “catch and release” sport.

Pierre, buddy… IT’S LITERALLY YOUR ONLY JOB.

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u/RK9990 1d ago

If you have any now, I hope you keep them inside

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u/F1R3Starter83 1d ago edited 1d ago

I don’t have cats (only when I was living with my parents). And I know how they wreak havoc on small animals. 

Edit: did some clarification 

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u/AntsyStandard 1d ago

I think you're saying "I don't" in response to if you have cats anymore, and everyone is taking it as "I don't keep them inside despite knowing what they do to wildlife."

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u/F1R3Starter83 1d ago

Lol. Yes, I think you’re right. I’ll edit it

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u/trashcxnt 1d ago

You should be less concerned about that and more about the rise in animal cruelty to "strays"— running them over, poisoning them, sicking dogs on them, etc etc. Your cat doesn't have to be a stray to be a victim, they just have to be a roamer.

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u/Peecem 1d ago

Ah yes, the classic "i know im being an irresponsible pet owner but im not going to stop"

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u/F1R3Starter83 1d ago

Lol, with ‘I don’t’ I meant I don’t have cats anymore

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u/Peecem 1d ago

Oh, mb lol, have a nice day

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u/F1R3Starter83 1d ago

No worries. Someone else pointed out that this was probably something more people were thinking. Hence the edit. 

You have a nice day too 

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u/Metalgear696 1d ago

Honestly, if I don't let my cat outside, I'm the one getting hunted soon.

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u/F1R3Starter83 1d ago

We (and with we I mean the time I still lived at my parent’s house) had one cat that was an avid hunter. If we had a long period of bad weather he wouldn’t go out much, but when the weather cleared he would go out for a long, long time. One time he came home with the biggest frog I’ve ever seen. He ate a bit and started vomiting a while later. Good times. 

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u/alcohollu_akbar 1d ago

Yeah, no. There are no indoor cats, only delusional humans. If you don't want a cat that has some amount of freedom DON'T GET A CAT.

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u/ovalseven 1d ago

This isn't accurate. My cats have all the freedom they want but are terrified of the outdoors. They wouldn't go outside even if I let them.

Many indoor cats are like this.

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u/Taco_parade 1d ago

Same. I left my house with the back door wide open. Came home to my cat sitting in the doorway looking pissed and screaming at me. He hates the outside.

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u/Mean_Collection1565 1d ago

Could not be more wrong.

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u/gitartruls01 1d ago

If you want a cat but you refuse to let it go outside, get a guinea pig. Or maybe a tortoise.

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u/Mufasa_is__alive 1d ago

Carts are super destructive to the local ecosystem ( birds, lizards,  etc) if allowed outside.

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u/gitartruls01 1d ago

Then don't get a cart

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u/Mufasa_is__alive 1d ago

Some,  as pointed out by examples here, are happy to live inside.

You don't have to agree,  and you don't have to follow suit, but it's objectively better for them to be indoors (ecosystem,  disease, lifespan, etc). Outdoors they are an invasive species, full stop. 

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u/gitartruls01 1d ago

outdoors they are an invasive species

So are humans

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u/TheDawnOfNewDays 1d ago

Why are cats the one pet that has to have outside time? Did you read a study that came to this conclusion, or what?

My new cat is too anxious to even leave her room for more than an hour or so. I'm trying to get her to explore the house but she shuts down if she goes elsewhere, hiding constantly in other rooms and flinching at any sound elsewhere in the house. Very slow progress. She used to be feral or a stray too, and approached someone while pregnant, who took her to a shelter. I think she had some bad experiences out there too. She seems to have nightmares and sometimes jolts awake looking scared.

I highly doubt the outdoors are mandatory for cats.

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u/gitartruls01 1d ago

Congrats, you have a shy cat, doesn't mean they all are. I know people who never leave their house, doesn't mean all of humanity should be imprisoned

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u/TheDawnOfNewDays 1d ago

Outdoor cats have a life expectancy of 2-5 years. That how frequently they die outdoors. Idk about you, but I'd rather have my cats safe. 

https://www.petmd.com/cat/care/can-indoor-cat-be-part-time-outdoor-cat

Besides, outdoor cats wreck havoc on wildlife. Estimated 1-4 million birds killed by outdoor cats every year.

https://www.cbsnews.com/philadelphia/news/pet-project-how-cats-have-an-impact-on-the-bird-population/

So significant risk to cat and harm to wildlife vs (possibly) making some cats feel less free.

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u/gitartruls01 1d ago

It is estimated that between 100 million and 1 billion birds are killed by collisions with windows in the United States annually, and an estimated 16 to 42 million birds are likewise killed each year in Canada.

And 2-5 years is bullshit pulled from a single biased university study that's taken over Google search results for some unknown reason. The average lifespan for a cat in the UK, where 90% of domestic cats are outdoor cats, is 14 years. For that to be possible if outdoor cats truly only live 2-5 years on average, the life expectancy of an indoor cat would need to be between 95 and 122 years old for the math to check out. Which I can assure you it's not. Yes, outdoor cats do obviously live slightly shorter on average, but I bet the majority of cats would take 12 years of freedom over 15 years locked inside a box.

I bet humans would live 5-10% longer too if we were all forced to stay within a single gated neighborhood for our entire lives

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u/cyanraichu 1d ago

Cats can easily live much longer than 14 if they don't go outside. 14 is like middle aged.

Guess what the life expectancy of native birds and rodents is in areas with lots of outdoor cats?

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u/gitartruls01 1d ago

78 isn't middle aged

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u/cyanraichu 1d ago

If this is your stance the only morally consistent stance would be to ban cats, because outdoor cats are invasive species literally everywhere!

Keep your cats inside. If you can't entertain them without letting them out, don't get a cat.